10 Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy Now in 2018

Few investors can move the market the way Warren Buffett can. His hedge fund, Berkshire-Hathaway, is one of the most closely observed funds. Buffett has always followed an investment strategy that allows him to take large positions in securities if he views the investment to have a high probability for growth. That strategy continues into 2018 where the top four positions in his portfolio are all weighted at over 10 percent of Berkshire’s portfolio.

However, even when Buffett does not add to his position on a stock, and sometimes even when he reduces his holdings, it doesn’t mean he has soured on the stock. Buying and holding stocks has always been one of the keys to Buffett’s success. Buffett is a strong advocate for investing in what you know. To that end, he continues to invest in many of his mainstay businesses.

So what stocks does Buffett like today? We’ll show you several stocks where Buffett has continued to add to his position, a few that remain mainstays even though Berkshire is holding its current position and even a couple that Berkshire-Hathaway remains bullish on despite reducing their investment.

#1 - Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ :APPL)

It’s no secret that Warren Buffett loves Apple (AAPL). As in, really loves them. The Oracle of Omaha has mused that he wouldn’t mind owning the entire company. And he backs his lavish praise with investment dollars. Buffett increased his position in Apple by 44 percent. Berkshire now owns over 74 million shares of Apple, and the company occupies the most space in Buffett’s portfolio, totaling 21.3 percent. A large stake to be sure, but completely in line with Buffett’s investment philosophy.

Among its many attributes, Apple remains very popular with its core consumer base who continues to snap up the company’s products. They are sitting on over $250 billion in cash and are quickly growing their services division to bring in new revenue streams. And perhaps the most positive indicator is that Apple’s stock is trading at a discount to the broader market with a forward P/E multiple of 14.9. All these positives seem to override any concerns Buffett may have about Apple’s heavy reliance on iPhone sales, which account for more than 60 percent of their revenue. This is particularly interesting since Buffett himself professes not to own Apple products.

Buffett has owned Monsanto (MON) for a long time and for the last several years has been investing in the agricultural giant in anticipation of the German company Bayer AG completing a takeover of Monsanto. When the all-cash deal was finally closed in June of this year, Bayer paid $128 per share, giving the stock a nice boost (during the first quarter of 2018, the stock’s maximum price was $106 per share) and sending $2.4 billion of cash back to Berkshire-Hathaway. And there may be even more room for the stock to run with the new entity Bayer-Monsanto seeking antitrust clearance. The seed and crop chemicals industry has gone through a wave of consolidation. Bayer-Monsanto now joins Dow Chemical Co. who combined with DuPont Co. and China National Chemical Corporation who took over Syngenta AG. Buffett added approximately 7.3 million shares to its portfolio and now owns nearly 19 million shares of the agricultural giant.

About MonsantoMonsanto Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides agricultural products for farmers worldwide. It operates in two segments, Seeds and Genomics, and Agricultural Productivity. The Seeds and Genomics segment produces row crop seeds, including corn, soybean, cotton, and canola seeds under the DEKALB, Asgrow, and Deltapine brands; and vegetable seeds, such as tomato, pepper, melon, cucumber, squash, beans, broccoli, onions, lettuce, and others under the Seminis and De Ruiter brands. It also develops biotechnology traits that assist farmers in controlling insects and weeds in corn, soybean, and cotton crops under the SmartStax, YieldGard, YieldGard VT Triple, VT Triple PRO, and VT Double PRO brands; Intacta RR2 PRO brand; Bollgard and Bollgard II brands; Roundup Ready and Roundup Ready 2 Yield brands; and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend and Bollgard II XtendFlex brands. In addition, this segment licenses a range of germplasm and trait technologies to large and small seed companies. The Agricultural Productivity segment manufactures and sells herbicides for nonselective agricultural and residential lawn and garden applications for weed control under the Roundup brand name; and herbicides for selective agricultural applications for weed control under the XtendiMax brand name. The company markets its products through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, agricultural cooperatives, plant raisers, and agents, as well as directly to farmers. It has strategic alliance with Pairwise Plants to advance agriculture research and development by using gene-editing technology. The company was formerly known as Monsanto Ag Company and changed its name to Monsanto Company in March 2000. Monsanto Company was founded in 2000 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

If there’s an industry that may be a close second to Apple in Warren Buffett’s heart, it could be the banking industry. Berkshire-Hathaway holds positions in eight different bank stocks, which adds up to over $73 billion of its portfolio. U.S. Bancorp (USB) is not the largest of its bank holdings, but it’s certainly not the smallest either. With Berkshire’s recent purchase of 3.8 million shares, it brought its total stake in the company to over 87 million shares that are currently valued at around $4.6 billion. This makes U.S. Bancorp the fourth-largest bank stock in Berkshire’s portfolio.

The Minneapolis-based banking giant has nearly a half a trillion dollars in assets. This cash reserve is one reason it is simply more efficient and generates more profit than many of its peers. Also to its credit, during the 2008-2009 banking crisis, U.S. Bancorp did not have a single quarter of negative earnings. U.S. Bancorp is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association.

About U.S. BancorpU.S. Bancorp, a financial services holding company, provides various financial services in the United States. The company operates through five segments: Corporate and Commercial Banking, Consumer and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Investment Services, Payment Services, and Treasury and Corporate Support. It offers depository services, including checking accounts, savings accounts, and time certificate contracts; and lending services, such as traditional credit products, as well as credit card services, leasing financing, import/export trade, asset-backed lending, agricultural finance, and other products. The company also provides ancillary services, such as capital markets, treasury management, and receivable lock-box collection services to corporate customers; and a range of asset management and fiduciary services for individuals, estates, foundations, business corporations, and charitable organizations. In addition, it offers investment and insurance products to its customers principally within its markets, as well as fund administration services to a range of mutual and other funds. Further, it provides corporate and purchasing card, and corporate trust services; and merchant processing services, as well as cash and investment management, ATM processing, mortgage banking, and brokerage and leasing services. The company offers its products and services through operating a network of 3,067 banking offices principally operating in the Midwest and West regions of the United States, and through online services and over mobile devices, as well as operates a network of 4,771 ATMs. U.S. Bancorp was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Did we mention that Warren Buffett likes bank stocks? Although Bank of New York (BK) has been in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio for quite some time, it has now climbed into the top ten of Berkshire's portfolio. In the first quarter of 2018, Berkshire bought 1.37 million shares, bringing its total share volume up to approximately 62.2 million shares that are worth an estimated $3.5 billion. In the first quarter of 2018, shares of the company rose nearly six percent amidst strong first-quarter financial results. Additionally, earnings per share rose.

The bank cited solid gains in fee-based revenue and an increase in net interest income as drivers of its growth to start 2018. BNY is also emphasizing custodial services above retail banking, showing that it does not always behave the way other banks do, which hasn’t always translated to positive performance. In the second quarter, the good news continued with a reported increase in net income to $1.1 billion dollars and earnings of $1.03 per share. This was up 14% year-over-year. Revenue also increased in line with analysts’ recommendations.

About Bank of New York MellonThe Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services to institutions, corporations, and high net worth individuals in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Investment Management and Investment Services. It offers investment management, custody, foreign exchange, fund broker-dealer, collateral and liquidity, clearing, corporate trust, global payment, trade finance, and cash management services, as well as securities finance and depositary receipts. The company also provides mutual funds, separate accounts, and wealth management and private banking services; and trust and registered investment advisory services. In addition, it engages in leasing, corporate treasury, derivative and other trading, corporate and bank-owned life insurance, renewable energy investment, and business exit activities. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation was founded in 1784 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Another industry that is a favorite of Warren Buffett is the airline industry. For years, Buffett expressed criticism of the industry as a whole. However, ever since 2016, Berkshire-Hathaway has been actively investing in the four largest U.S. airlines. Delta (DAL) is the smallest of the four, however, it is the only airline in which Berkshire has increased its investment in 2018, buying approximately $26 million worth of the stock and raising its ownership to 7.6 percent.

Like all airline stocks, Delta has been stung by higher oil prices that have lowered its stock price by 10 percent. However, Delta reported second-quarter revenues that increased eight percent year-over-year and saw total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) increase 4.6% in the quarter and is now up 4.8% for the year. Analysts see Delta as being well-positioned for the trend that has consumers valuing the experience of travel to the extent that they are continuing to make travel plans despite higher oil prices.

Additionally, some industry analysts are speculating that Berkshire may be purchasing Delta and other airline stocks as a precursor to acquiring an airline of its own. And now for a few stocks that Berkshire continues to hold and shows no signs of letting go.

About Delta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its route network is centered on a system of hubs, international gateways, and airports in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Tokyo-Narita. The company sells its tickets through various distribution channels, including delta.com and mobile applications/Web, telephone reservations, online travel agencies, traditional brick and mortar, and other agencies. It also provides aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services; staffing, aviation, and professional security and training services to third parties; and vacation packages to third-party consumers, as well as aircraft charters, and management and programs. As of February 9, 2018, the company operated a fleet of approximately 800 aircraft. Delta Air Lines, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Few statements could ever mean more to a company’s fortune than to have someone of Warren Buffett’s cache say that his company will never sell their shares in your company. Such is the case for Coca-Cola (KO). Despite the problems that have hit the industry over the last few years, including Coca-Cola's own heavy investment in re-franchising, the global beverage company holds an exalted place in Buffett’s portfolio. One reason for this is the investment it is making in brands like Monster Beverage, Keurig Green Mountain, and Suja Juice. It has also projected to save $3 billion annually by 2019 due to some operating changes. At the end of 2017, Coca-Cola was the fourth-largest company in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. Berkshire held 400 million shares of stock that are valued at $14.9 billion. Barclays is projecting a five percent increase in organic growth for the company in 2019 and 2020. They are also projecting an eight percent growth in profit over that same period. CFRA also sees the potential for improved margins in the stock beginning in 2019.

About The Coca-ColaThe Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures and distributes various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides water, enhanced water, and sports drinks; juices; juice, dairy, and plant?based beverages; teas and coffees; and energy drinks. It also offers concentrates, syrups, beverage bases, source waters, and powders/minerals, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores. The company sells its products primarily under the Coca-Cola, Diet Coke/Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, Georgia, Powerade, Del Valle, Schweppes, Aquarius, Minute Maid Pulpy, Dasani, Simply, Glacéau Vitaminwater, Gold Peak, FUZE TEA, Glacéau Smartwater, Ice Dew, I LOHAS, and Ayataka brand names. The Coca-Cola Company offers its beverage products through a network of company-owned or controlled bottling and distribution operators, as well as through independent bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Another company that benefits from Buffett’s buy-and-hold mantra is American Express (AXP). The company has been in the Berkshire-Hathaway portfolio since the 1960s. Today, it is the fifth most valuable holding for Berkshire-Hathaway. The company owns 151.6 million shares of American Express that are valued at $15 billion. In full disclosure, Berkshire owns positions in MasterCard and Visa but his investment in both of those is nowhere near his position in American Express. The stock seemed to hit a bottom in 2016 when it sunk to $50 a share. Today, it is trading near $100 per share, seems to back up Buffett’s belief in the stock and the company. American Express reported second-quarter earnings per share of $1.84 on revenue that just exceeded $10 billion. The company recently went through some turbulence over a lawsuit regarding the company's alleged efforts to encourage retailers to stop nudging customers to use credit cards with lower merchant fees. The Supreme Court threw out the lawsuit in late June so the stock may regain some traction.

About American ExpressAmerican Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products and travel-related services to consumers and businesses worldwide. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, International Consumer and Network Services, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant Services. The company's products and services include charge and credit card products, as well as other payment and financing products; network services; expense management products and services; travel-related services; and stored value/prepaid products. Its products and services also comprise merchant acquisition and processing, servicing and settlement, merchant financing, point-of-sale marketing, and information products and services for merchants; and fraud prevention services, as well as the design and operation of customer loyalty programs. The company sells its products and services to consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations through online applications, direct mail, in-house teams, third-party vendors, and direct response advertising. American Express Company was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Moody’s (MCO) is another mainstay in the Berkshire-Hathaway portfolio. Moody’s provides credit ratings for bonds. It is currently Berkshire's eighth most valuable holding at $3.6 billion. Buffett's firm owns 24.7 million shares of Moody's which posted revenue of $4.2 billion in the fiscal year 2017. The company continues to post strong numbers. As an example, its operating income was $462.8 million in the first quarter of 2018. Moody’s reported record revenue of $1.2 billion for the second quarter of 2018, a 17% year-over-year increase and a 35% increase from the first quarter. While their revenue increased 12% in the United States, it saw 57% growth in non-U.S. revenue. Moody’s also announced a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report that provides additional details regarding the company’s progress towards meeting its goal of empowering and rewarding people to address the challenges that can create a better future for communities and the environment.

About Moody'sMoody's Corporation provides credit ratings; and credit, capital markets, and economic related research, data, and analytical tools worldwide. It operates through two segments, Moody's Investors Service and Moody's Analytics. The Moody's Investors Service segment publishes credit ratings on various debt obligations and entities that issue such obligations comprising various corporate and governmental obligations, structured finance securities, and commercial paper programs. This segment provides ratings in approximately 120 countries. Its ratings are disseminated through press releases to the public through print and electronic media, including the Internet and real-time information systems for use by securities traders and investors. As of December 31, 2017, this segment had ratings relationships with approximately 4,700 non-financial corporate issuers; 4Moody´s Latin America Agente de Calificación de Riesgo S.A. ,100 financial institutions issuers; 18,000 sovereign, sub-sovereign, and supranational public finance issuers; and 1,000 infrastructure and project finance issuers, as well as rated 11,000 structured finance transactions. The Moody's Analytics segment develops products and services that support financial analysis and risk management activities of institutional participants in financial markets; and distributes research and data, such as research on debt issuers, industry studies, and commentary on topical credit related events. This segment also offers economic research, and credit data and analytical tools; software solutions and related risk management services; and offshore research and analytical services with financial training and certification programs. The company was formerly known as Dun and Bradstreet Company and changed its name to Moody's Corporation in September 2000. Moody's Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Wells Fargo (WFC) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Fake accounts, inflated sales numbers, coercing employees to engage in fraudulent activity are typically issues that would cause investors to flee. However, Wells Fargo remains the second most profitable bank in the United States and Buffett and Berkshire-Hathaway seem to be willing to reward them for that. The firm has held their position on Wells Fargo at 452.8 million shares. While down from 464.2 million, the value of Berkshire's holdings is still at $27.8 billion, making it Berkshire's second-largest holding. This is an example of where a little context can go a long way. To begin with the amount of stock that Berkshire sold represents only a small fraction of Berkshire’s stake, not exactly a huge sale. Second, in a recent interview, Buffet reaffirmed his belief in the bank’s long-term profitability stating that he believes it will “outperform the other big U.S. banks over the next 10 years”. And finally, Berkshire owns 9.3% of Wells Fargo. Were that ownership stake to reach 10 percent it would put Berkshire under additional scrutiny by regulators. The bottom line with Wells Fargo is that Buffett likes bank stocks and seems to have faith in Wells Fargo. Look for that confidence to continue although Berkshire may not be increasing their position anytime soon.

About Wells Fargo & CoWells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. The company's Community Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts; credit and debit cards; and automobile, student, mortgage, home equity, and small business loans. Its Wholesale Banking segment offers commercial loans and lines of credit, letters of credit, asset-based lending, equipment leasing, international trade facilities, trade financing, collection, foreign exchange, treasury management, merchant payment processing, institutional fixed-income sales, commodity and equity risk management, corporate trust fiduciary and agency, and investment banking services, as well as online/electronic products. This segment also provides construction, and land acquisition and development loans; secured and unsecured lines of credit; interim financing arrangements; rehabilitation loans; affordable housing loans and letters of credit; loans for securitization; and real estate and mortgage brokerage services. The company's Wealth and Investment Management segment offers financial planning, private banking, credit, and investment management and fiduciary services, as well as retirement and trust services. It serves clients through approximately 8,300 locations and 13,000 ATMs; online and mobile banking; and offices in 42 countries. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Phillips 66 (PSX) is another example of a company that Buffett may actually own too much of. In a move that was discussed with Phillips 66, Berkshire sold $35 million shares of stock back to Phillips 66. Although this sale amounted to a 43% reduction in Berkshire's stake, the sale was done in order to keep Berkshire's ownership stake to less than 10 percent. By selling the stock back to the company, the shares did not become outstanding shares which may have hurt the stock. And Buffett reiterated his belief in the stock and affirmed that the sale was strictly done to avoid enhanced regulatory scrutiny. Buffett's faith in the company seems to be justified. Phillips 66 announced strong second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.3 billion or $2.84 per share. This beat analysts' estimates by 25 percent. They also reported a 14 percent increase in their dividend in the second quarter. Chairman and CEO Greg Garland commented, "Our diversified portfolio generated strong earnings and cash flows this quarter. We advanced strategic growth initiatives and continued to reward our shareholders."

About Phillips 66Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks, delivers refined products to market, and provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, and markets natural gas liquids, exports LPG, and provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment manufactures and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, styrene, paraxylene, and cyclohexane, as well as polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, drilling chemicals, and mining chemicals. The Refining segment buys, sells, and refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products comprising gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels at 13 refineries primarily in the United States and Europe. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products consisting of gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels primarily in the United States and Europe. It also manufactures and sells specialty products, such as petroleum coke products, waxes, solvents, and polypropylene. In addition, this segment generates electricity and provides merchant power into the Texas market. Phillips 66 was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Warren Buffet practices and promotes a long-term investment strategy that has demonstrated proven returns over several decades. From controlling your emotions to not panicking to investing in what you understand, the principles Buffett promotes can help investors make good decisions. His investment firm Berkshire-Hathaway once again reported strong earnings and actually is facing a decision regarding how to deploy an unusually high cash reserve.